Sea Dreamer
by WaterBendingQueen88
Summary: Everyone knows the story of a mermaid who dreamed of life on land. But do they know the tale of a human girl who dreamed of life under the sea? Meredith, a free-spirited princess with a boundless love and longing for the sea and its treasures, falls into a forbidden love with a merman prince. A Collab with Brightfire15.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is based on "The Little Mermaid" with the species switched. I thank Brightfire15 for helping me.**

Let us tell an old story anew and we will see how well you remember it.

Long ago, there were two kingdoms, land and sea, that were as different as two kingdoms could be. On land resided humans, ordinary folk like you and me. Under the sea resided folk of myth and legend known as merpeople.

Half-human, half-fish, the merpeople were creatures of unmatched beauty and grace, brought into existence by the Sea God Poseidon by the light of a full moon. Peaceful and harmonious, they loved to celebrate the moon and each other, and so they took any chance they could to celebrate one another's milestones with feasting and dancing and song under the light of the full moon.

Though the two kingdoms generally lived in peace, relations between them were lukewarm at best. The merpeople had no quarrel with the humans and would've gladly welcomed them into their lives with open arms, but the human kingdom did not regard the merpeople as kindly as they did their human neighbors. Like those who ruled before him, the king of the humans believed in the ancient legends of the cruelty of merpeople, and because of this, contact between the surface-dwellers and the sea-dwellers was forbidden and both sides had to keep their distance from each other, lest it spark an act of war.

But none of that was important at the moment. Today the merpeople were busy preparing to celebrate two special occasions: the rising of the Blue Moon and Prince Skyle's coming-of-age. Two very old, very important celebrations that had been honored by the merpeople for innumerable centuries. It promised to be a spectacular, memorable evening. Many were excited for legend said that during the Blue Moon, one's destiny made itself clear and life would change forever.

Given that it was just a legend, Skyle didn't hold much faith in it, but little did he know just how much truth was in the legend…

A shining light shone bright and on, like a shining star in the sky. Yet this was no star. It was a grand kingdom, on top of a cliff, overlooking the ocean far below, with lush forests and steep hills leading down and joining with the shore. It was the kingdom of Freyagard, a kingdom that prided itself on rich culture, grand architecture and its passion for the arts.

It was because of the peoples' love for the arts; particularly that of the theatre; that the kingdom's citizens were rushing to the castle's concert hall in order to reach their seats in time for the much-anticipated concert that the King was holding that very evening.

When all were in their seats and the doors to the hall were closed, the lights dimmed and the trumpets played loudly as a row of red guards lined up before a golden-clothed man, the king's herald, appeared. He coughed twice before clearing his throat.

"His Majesty, The King of Freyagard, Bryce!" The crowd roared as from out of a door, the king walked in, his specter glowing in his grip. He used his magic scepter, an ancient family heirloom and symbol of the king's authority, to make a chandelier come to life and shower down sparkling lights upon the crowd, who applauded.

"And presenting the distinguished court composer, Adwat!" The herald announced joyfully.

There was another round of applause and cheers as a man in fine blue clothes entered the hall from the king's entrance while waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. Adwat's musical talents were legendary and despite grand offers from other theatres, Adwat would work only for the king as they were more than just master and servant, they were also old friends.

"I'm really looking forward to this performance, Adwat," said King Bryce, happily as he took his seat. The king sat in the hall's only balcony which gave him the best view of the stage.

"As I am, Your Majesty. This will be the finest concert I have ever conducted! Your daughters, they will be spectacular!" bragged Adwat, as he smiled.

"Oh, indeed they shall, especially my little Meredith." The king's last words were whispered to Adwat, so that none would overhear.

King Bryce loved all seven of his daughters and they had lovely singing voices, but Meredith's singing voice was the one he loved most, not just for its beauty but because it was similar to that of his beloved late wife's.

"Yes, yes, of course. She does have the most beautiful voice," said Adwat, sweetly. As he walked down to the orchestra pit, Adwat quietly grumbled to himself, "if only she'd show for rehearsals once in a while!"

When Adwat reached the orchestra pit, he stood in front of his rostrum and pulled out his sheet music. He then tapped his conductor's wand on the rostrum and began waving it in synch with the music. The curtain opened, revealing three identical large roses of pink, white and red and from the blossoms emerged six beautiful princesses, all dressed in fine silk gowns in the first six colors of the rainbow, embroidered with jewels and gold and silver.

 _Ah, we are the Daughters of King Bryce_  
 _Great father who loves us and named us well_  
 _Mari, Mared, Morgan, Morwen, Meinwen, Maban_

The eldest princess had hair the color of chocolate and purple eyes like a sunset. The second princess had wavy black hair and eyes green as emeralds. The third princess had burgundy brown hair and her eyes were a rich brown too. The fourth princess had hair the color of amber and eyes black as night. The fifth princess had hair of spun gold and eyes gray as storm clouds. The sixth princess had hair of shining red and eyes the color of a warm summer's sky.

All six were highly accomplished, talented, good-manners and obedient proper princesses who were much beloved by their father and their subjects and much desired by prospective suitors from neighboring kingdoms.

As the concert progressed, they all sang in flawless harmony, making Adwat and their father exceedingly proud.

As he continued to conduct, Adwat snuck a quick glance at the king to see if the king approved of the performance. King Bryce's smile and look of pride answered Adwat's question and the composer began to feel excited. If King Bryce enjoyed the wonderful performance of his six older daughters, then he would simply love it when it came time for his youngest daughter's solo, for Meredith's voice had no equal in its beauty.

 _And then there is the youngest in her musical debut_  
 _Our seventh little sister, we're presenting her to you_  
 _To sing a song Adwat wrote_  
 _Her voice is like a bell_  
 _She's our sister, Meredith!_

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the beautiful Meredith to make her debut. But when the giant lavender rose opened, there was no princess there. Everyone gasped and the concert came to a screeching halt.

Adwat gasped and gulped as he saw the empty rose for only moments before looking up at the king, who was clearly furious beyond words, for his eyes were two narrow slits of fire.

"MEREDITH!" Bryce roared as his scepter glowed and his fist slammed onto the rail of his balcony.


	2. Chapter 2

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me. Some of the words belong to other writers.**

In an unknown location, far from the castle walls was Bryce's youngest daughter, Meredith. She was quite beautiful. She had fair skin, long saffron-colored hair that reached her upper back, and eyes as green as emeralds. She was dressed in a simple but flowing yellow-green skirt and sleeveless light blue top, and she was carrying a small red bag. She leapt onto a rock and was looking towards something with astonishment when she heard someone shout, "Meredith! Wait for me!"

Looking back, she said, "Cardiff! Hurry up!"

Her best friend, Cardiff, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, ran up to her, panting.

"You know I can't run that fast…" he panted.

"There it is…" Meredith said as she pointed to the ocean. "Isn't it fantastic?"

"Yeah, uh, it's great… Now let's get out of here!" Cardiff said, trying to run away, but Meredith grabbed him by his back leg, saying, "Cardiff… You're not getting cold feet NOW, are you?"

"Who, me?" Cardiff asked as Meredith ran to the ocean and he followed. "No way! It's just that I ate and you're supposed to wait a few hours before explorin'. You know, I think I'm coming down with something!"

Then Cardiff tried to make some convincing coughs as Meredith just smirked at him as she moved to the sea, saying, "Ok, I'm going in. You can stay out here and… watch for wolves."

"Ok," Cardiff said as Meredith dove in. "You go, I'll stay here and- What?! Wolves?! Meredith!"

Cardiff tried to dive into the sea, but he got stuck in some seaweed as he struggled, saying, "Meredith… I can't…I need…Meredith, help!"

Giggling, Meredith went over, saying, "Oh, Cardiff…"

"Meredith…" Cardiff whispered as Meredith began pulling him inside. "You really think there might be wolves around the ocean…?"

"Cardiff, don't be such a scaredy dog!"

"I'm not a scaredy dog…" Cardiff said as he finally dove in, unaware of a silent but large threat roaming around the shore.

"This is just how I like it," Cardiff whispered as he and Meredith both dove up for air, trying to sound convincing. "Excitement, adventure… danger lurking around every cor- AHHHHH!"

He screamed from seeing an eel and bumped into Meredith, shivering as she said, "Oh… Are you ok?"

"Yeah, sure…" Cardiff whispered, frightened. "Just give me a second to get my bearings."

"Shh," Meredith shushed as they swam toward the ocean floor and looked around. Meredith then spotted something, thinking, "Oh my gosh… Oh my gosh!"

She swam over and picked up a long shell, went back up for air, saying, "Have you ever seen anything more wonderful in your entire life?!"

"Wow, cool!" Cardiff said swimming over to see. "But, err, what is it?"

"I don't know!" Meredith said excitedly as she pocketed it into her bag. "But I bet Dal will!"

As they went back to shore, Cardiff heard something walk by and looked around, saying, "Did you hear something?"

"Hmm, wonder what this one is." Meredith said, looking at a big shell.

"Meredith…" Cardiff whined as something loomed up behind him as Meredith said in slight aggravation, "Cardiff, will you just calm down? Nothing is going to happen!"

But Cardiff looked behind him and let out a silent scream of seeing a wolf, poising its jaws, then ran towards them as Cardiff screamed, "WOLF! WOLF, WE'RE GONNA DIE!"

Meredith and Cardiff evaded the wolf and ran up to higher ground. As they ran the wolf burst through the woods, its mouth wide open as Cardiff accidentally ran inside but zoomed out like crazy as he screamed and the wolf started biting through the woods after them. Meredith dropped her bag in the wolf's path and quickly ran through the trees, the wolf following her, forcing itself through the trees, which led to log, Cardiff got stuck again, but Meredith managed to get him out faster before getting herself out and not a moment too soon. The wolf burst through the log and chased them around the shore, but Cardiff bumped headfirst into one of the rocks. Dazed he began to fall, barely missing the jaws of the wolf as it tore into the spar. Meredith looked down and saw the wolf running towards Cardiff as he fell. Running quickly, she reached him first near some kelp as the wolf roared towards them… and ended up stuck in the kelp. Meredith grabbed her bag and ran as Cardiff gloated to the wolf.  
"You big bully!"

He stuck his tongue out at the wolf, giving him a raspberry, making the wolf reach out as far as it could, smashing his teeth together. Had Cardiff not pulled it back in, his tongue would be gone as his eyes were as large as dinner plates and he whined, swimming to catch up with Meredith, as she giggled, saying, "Cardiff, you really are a scaredy dog…"

"I am not!"

Near a seal shore, a seal was humming merrily as he looked at shells as he chuckled. Dal was no ordinary seal. He was an artifact dealer who often traveled between the sea-kingdoms with special treasures he found and collected to trade with.

He'd just finished sorting the prettiest shells from the not-so-pretty ones when he heard someone shout his name, "Dal!"

"WHOA!" He yelled as he saw Meredith and Cardiff. "PRINCESS OFF THE PORT BOW….! MEREDITH! HOW YA DOING, KID…?!"  
Meredith had been Dal's friend since childhood. After she'd spent most her day collecting treasures from the sea, she'd gone for a swim and encountered a dangerous predator. When Meredith thought she might become the beast's next meal, Dal had turned up unexpectedly and saved her life. After Meredith had thanked the seal, Dal had inquired as to the contents of her bag and when she revealed it was trinkets from the sea, it had sparked the beginning of a beautiful friendship that continued even to this day.

"Dal, look what we found!" Meredith said, putting her bag on the ground.

"Yeah, we were near the ocean-" Cardiff tried to say, but Dal interrupted.

"Ocean stuff, huh?!" Dal said excitedly.

"Here, lemme see." He said, bouncing clumsily over, bouncing on Cardiff's head, much to his annoyance, and dug into the bag. He pulled out the long shell, saying, "Look at this! Wow… This is special! I mean this is very-very unusual."

"What? What is it?" Meredith asked excitedly.

"It's a… Lightning Whelk!" Dal whispered. He held the shell in his flippers, saying, "these shells carry whelks-"

"A Lightning Whelk …!" Meredith breathed.

"What about that there one?" Cardiff asked.

"Oh, this!" Dal said, picking up the pipe. "I haven't seen in years… This is WONDERFUL! A Conch."

Meredith and Cardiff said, "Ooh…"

"Now the Conch dates back to prehistorical times when people use to sit around," Dal said as he got up in Meredith's face, his eyes wide open as he said, "And stare at each other all day! Got very boring."

He took up the Conch as he said, "So, they had this Conch to make fine music, allow me."

He took a deep breath and blew into it, only succeeding in blowing out water, ocean dirt, grime, and a bit of seaweed as Meredith nervously said, "Music…?"

"IT'S STUCK!" Dal said rather dramatically.

"Oh the concert!" Meredith gasped as she put the shells back in her bag, saying, "My father's gonna kill me!"

"The concert was today?!" Cardiff gasped.

"Maybe you can make a little planter out of it…" Dal said before Meredith swiped the conch from his flippers as she and Cardiff began to run away as she said, "I'm sorry! I gotta go! Thank you, Dal!"

The princess and dog ran as Dal waved, saying, "Anytime there, sweetie! Anytime!"

As Meredith and Cardiff ran home, they remained unaware of two spies leering at them as their eyes seemed to come together into one, forming a crystal ball for someone else more terrible who was watching. In a dark and frightful place, somebody spoke with a cracked, husky, grating voice. "Yes. Hurry home, princess. We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration. Huh! Celebration indeed, oh bah! There were REAL performances and celebrations when I lived in the palace."

Crawling out from her hole came the witch, Aster, who was beautiful but sinister, she had a long magenta-red hair that reached to the floor, and red eyes that were also beautiful but devious. She was covered in black robes. Her body was thin and her skin sickly pale.

It hadn't always been that way. Once Aster had been a woman to be admired and envied. She'd had a good heart and dreams for a perfect future. But some dreams were not meant to be and now she was a dark shadow of her former self. She'd been lying in wait for many years, waiting to claim her revenge with the use of her dark powers.

"But now look at me" Aster said rather dramatically. "Wasting away to nothing. Banished and exiled and practically starving! While HE and his wimpy people celebrate!"

She walked along the floor of her grotto, vowing, "Well, I'LL give them something to celebrate about soon enough. Fiachna! Fiachra!"

The spies of Aster, a pair of ravens, hurt their heads on a rock from being surprised as they heard Aster speak to them in their minds.

"I want you to keep an extra close on that dear sweet daughter of his. She may be the key to Bryce's undoing."


	3. Chapter 3

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me. I don't own even the re-make of "Part of Your World".**

Meanwhile at the audience chamber, the king scolded his daughter for missing the concert.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do with you, young lady!" said Bryce, in irritated exasperation. "Being careless on a normal day is bad enough, but on an important occasion such as this one is over the line!"

Meredith winced at her father's tone and tried to make amends. "Father, I'm really sorry. I didn't do this on purpose, I swear."

"On purpose, on accident, what does it matter? It changes nothing! You can save your apologies, child!" spat Adwat, furiously. "What good are your apologies going to do to fix our reputations from this mess? Or my career? Do you realize that because of your idiotic and completely selfish behavior, I can never show my face in polite society again?"

Fed up with listening to the king and composer rag on Meredith, Cardiff stepped in to defend his friend.

"It wasn't her fault!" Cardiff said boldly, running over to defend Meredith, but then he went to being nervous as he said, "Well… You see, a wolf came… And we tried to… But we couldn't! It was all… GRRRR! And we were like… WHOA! And then we were safe… Then this seal came, and he's all "This is this and that is that"…"

"Seal?" Bryce asked, but became enraged when he understood. Cardiff, slapped his mouth shut with his paws and hid behind Meredith who gave him a look.

"You went into the sea again! Didn't you? Didn't you?!"

"Nothing happened…" Meredith said lamely.

Sighing in frustration, Bryce said, "Meredith, how many times must we go through this?! Merpeople and their world is not for the likes of your nor anyone else in this kingdom! Merpeople are savage, heartless creatures who care only for themselves!"

"Don't say that! It's not true!" insisted Meredith. "I know you think they're just monsters who drown people, but they're not! They're a beautiful, peaceful culture with so much to offer if you'd just permit it!"

"I most certainly will not!" barked Bryce. He placed his hand on Meredith's cheek. "And I will not see you fall for their lies! It's bad enough I lost your mother, I will not lose you too, especially not to those barbaric beasts!"

Meredith pulled away from her father in anger. "I'll fall for whatever I like! I'm eighteen years old! I'm not a child!"

Bryce was through listening. "Enough! You deliberately disobeyed me! I never want you going out there again, do you hear me? It's dangerous in the sea!"

"How would you know?" demanded Meredith, as tears came to her eyes. "You've never even been in it!"

Before Bryce could say another word, Meredith ran off crying. Cardiff worriedly ran after her as Bryce sighed while sitting onto his throne.

Adwat huffed. "Young people think they know everything. Well, I think that girl's going to get a hard dose of reality."

Bryce raised an eyebrow. "You think I was right in what I said?"

"Sire, we both know that you were. Considering the incident all those years ago, you have every right to condemn the sea and her people. They should consider themselves fortunate you didn't go to war over it," said Adwat, firmly. "And I think it's time to tighten control over your youngest."

"What do you suggest?"

"A chaperone for when she's not busying fulfilling her royal duties would be a good solution. Someone to watch over her and keep out of trouble. It worked before in the olden days, so I don't see why it wouldn't work now."

Bryce looked pleased by this. "You're absolutely right, Adwat! A chaperone is exactly what Meredith needs. And YOU are just the man to do it!"

Adwat looked taken aback. When he'd suggested the chaperone, he hadn't meant he was volunteering for the job. But he could not defy the king's wishes, so he had no choice but to obey.

Later, after it had gotten dark out, Adwat paced around the halls in the palace, muttering, "How do I get myself into these predicaments…? I should be writing poems, not tagging along with some headstrong teenager!" Then Adwat noticed Meredith and Cardiff together, sneaking around in the palace at such a late hour, as they checked around as if to make sure that no one was around to see them, and then they snuck out of the palace, with Adwat quietly following them, whispering, "Just what is that girl up to?"

Meredith and Cardiff ran for a while with Adwat getting tired. He then saw them open a door and enter an unused room, but noticed it was closing. Gasping he ran fast enough to make it through, except the door closed on one of his hands. He strained to free himself and when he did, he gasped at what he saw; a room was filled with ocean things, sand, seashells, conches, sand dollars, pearls, coral, as if it was a museum. He noticed Meredith and Cardiff at a corner, looking depressed and hid behind a large pillar.

"Meredith, are you ok?" Cardiff asked as Meredith looked at the Lightning Whelk.

"I'm fine, I'm just so tired of fighting with him all the time about this. I wish I could make him understand…" Meredith said longingly. "I just don't see how a world that has such wonderful things…could be bad." Meredith started singing.

 _Look at this stuff_  
 _Isn't it neat?_  
 _Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?_  
 _Wouldn't you think I'm the girl_  
 _The girl who has everything?_

 _Look at this trove_  
 _Treasures untold_  
 _How many wonders can one cupboard hold?_  
 _Looking around here you'd think_  
 _Sure, she's got everything_

 _I've got seashells and conches a-plenty_  
 _I've got sand and pearls galore_  
 _(You want sand dollars? I've got twenty!)_

 _But who cares?_  
 _No big deal_  
 _I want more_

 _I wanna be where the merfolk are_  
 _I wanna see, wanna see 'em dancing_  
 _Swimming around on those- (What do you call 'em? Oh- fins!)_

 _Walking on legs, you don't get too far_  
 _Fins are required for spinning, soaring_  
 _Swimming along down a- (What's that word again?)_  
 _Stream_

 _Down where they swim, Down where they soar_  
 _Down where they stay all day in the waves_  
 _Wandarin' free- wish I could be_  
 _Part of that world_

 _What would I give if I could live off of this land?_  
 _What would I pay to spend a day cool on the sand?_  
 _Bet'cha in the sea they understand_  
 _That they don't reprimand their daughters_  
 _Bright young Mermaids, sick of walkin'_  
 _Ready to soar_

 _Now I'm ready to know what the merfolk know_  
 _Ask 'em my questions and get some answers_  
 _What's a jellyfish and why does it- (what's the word?)_  
 _Sting?_

 _When's it my turn?_  
 _Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world down below?_  
 _Into the sea_  
 _Wish I could be_  
 _Part of that world_

Then Meredith and Cardiff heard a crashing sound and looked to see Adwat, with junk on him.

"Adwat!" Meredith gasped.

Adwat pulled off coral as he tried to move, saying, "Meredith, what is all this rubbish?"

"It's not rubbish!" said Cardiff.

"It's just my collection!" Meredith said with a nervous smile.

"Collection?!" yelled Adwat. He nearly popped a vein. "IF YOUR FATHER KNEW ABOUT THIS PLACE, HE'D HAVE YOUR HIDE!"

"You're not seriously going to tell him, are you?" asked Meredith, fearfully. "Please, Adwat, I'll do whatever you want. Please don't tell my father about this. He hates the sea!"

Adwat sighed and forced himself to try and calm down. "Meredith, I think it's time we try and find you a better hobby than that of disobeying your father's rules. I also think you've had a very long day and could do with some rest and relaxation. Why don't you come with me? I'll take you home and we'll—"

"What is that?" Meredith said as she looked out of the window overlooking the sea, spotting something in the water. She ran out of her room with Adwat and Cardiff following. She arrived and the beach and gasped at the wondrous sight of Merpeople surfaced on the water, dancing and having a great time under the moon. When Adwat and Cardiff arrived, Adwat said, "Meredith, what are you-"

Then he saw what was going on and yelled, "Holy Moley!"


	4. Chapter 4

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me.**

Meredith started leaping on the rocks towards the sea, ignoring Adwat's pleas to come back. She waded a little further out into the ocean, to see whether she was just hallucinating or not. She swam out a little further and made it to a rock, so she could see what was happening in the water. She gasped in wonder as she saw Merpeople swim to music. She then heard a clicking and chirping noise and saw a spotted dolphin as she happily swam around the Merfolk. But then the dolphin smelt something. She followed the scent and Meredith gasped as it came towards her. It found her and kissed her when there was a whistle and someone said, "Caron! Here girl!"

Meredith looked and saw the dolphin, Caron, run over to a Merman a little older than her, with long brown hair, a silver pendent, his chest was bare, red fins, and earrings. As the Merman chuckled from Caron kissed him, him saying, "Good girl, what'cha doing?" "Just wanderin' around," she answered.

Meredith felt her heart begin to pound as she looked upon the merman's face. A loud but familiar voice freed her of those feelings.

"HEY THERE, SWEETIE!"

She looked and saw Dal swim over to her, shouting, "QUITE A SHOW, EH?!"

"Quiet, Dal! They'll hear you!" Meredith said in a loud whisper.

"Ooh, I gotcha, I gotcha!" Dal whispered as he hid with Meredith, saying, "We're doing investigation… WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER!"

Meredith grabbed his mouth and pulled him down as they watched. Meredith sighed, watching the Merman play his flute to his dolphin as she said, "I've never seen a Merman so up close before! Oh…he's very handsome, isn't he…?"

Scratching his neck, Dal said, "I dunno, I guess he's cute, but I think it's a girl."

Giggling, Meredith said, "Not that one! The one playing the flute…"

Then an old merman, Olwydd, that is, loudly said, "Silence! Silence… It is now my great honor and privilege to present to our illustrious Prince Skyle a very special, very expensive birthday present!"

Everyone looked at a small rock. Skyle gave Olwydd a back-slap, saying, "Aw, Olwydd, ya old fish, ya shouldn't have!"

"I know…" Olwydd said disdainfully as he used some magic to turn the stone into something. "Happy Birthday, Skyle."

The stone turned into a figurine of Skyle in a heroic pose, wielding a triton, and wearing armor, which Skyle did not approve of and neither did Caron. "I don't like this," she whispered to him. Skyle swan to Olwydd, grabbing the figurine, feeling articulate as he tried to find the right words.

"Well, Olwydd… It's… uh… It's- it's really something!"

"I made it myself!" Olwydd said rather proudly but then, in Skyle's face with a censorious tone, he said, "However, I'd hoped it would be a WEDDING present…"

"Oh! Olwydd, come on, don't start!" Skyle said in amused exasperation, as he handed the figurine back to Olwydd. He swan to where Meredith and Dal were hiding as he looked out to the castle. "You're not still sore I gently denied the princess of South Atlantic, are you?"

"Oh, Skyle, it's not just me," Olwydd said. "The entire kingdom wants you to happily settle down with the right girl!"

"Well, she's out there somewhere, I…" Skyle said as Meredith and Dal eavesdropped. "I just haven't found her yet."

"Perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough…"

"Believe me, Olwydd, when I find her, I'll know, without a doubt! It'll just… Bam! Hit me… Like lightning!"

Then, as if on cue, lightning thundered around the clouds as the wind picked up. "A hurricane's coming! Everyone dive down to the caves!"

Skyle and the other Merpeople quickly dove down, desperately trying to get away from the waves. The wind blew ferociously against Dal as he struggled to hang on.

"Whoa! The winds are really getting on the move here!" Dal screamed as he lost his grip on the rock and as he was hurtled into the storming sea, he screamed in fear, "MMEEERRRREEEEDDDIIITTTTTTHHHHHH….!"

Despite her efforts, Meredith couldn't cling to the slippery wet rock any longer and was tossed into the sea by a strong wave and the powerful wind. Desperately she fought against the churning waters and eventually made it to surface and then soon after the seashore before she drowned. What she saw next scared her to death.

The situation had become direr by the sudden appearance of waterspouts that came out of nowhere. The waterspouts descended from the heavens in the form of a powerful tornado made of water and began sucking up whatever came near and tossing it out like a child would throw pebbles.

Though the merfolk tried to escape the terrifying storm, their efforts were fruitless. Many were lost in the waterspouts. Where they ended up, only Poseidon knew. Others lost control in the waves before they could descend to the safety of the ocean floor or the emergency shelter caves.

Skyle rescued a merchild before it met its doom on the sharp rocks up ahead and then suddenly a crack of lightning struck one of the tall rocks.

The merman struggled to get away. The merman lost control in the waves and Skyle saved him. Suddenly, a crack of lightning struck one of the tall rocks.

"LOOK OUT…!" Skyle screamed as the rocks crashed among the sea. And Skyle's figurine was swallowed up by the waves.

In the sea, Olwydd spluttered as he tried to swim when Skyle shouted, "Olwydd, hang on!" and helped him to an underwater cave. But suddenly, a terrified shout crying, 'Skyle!" cut through the stormy winds and Skyle looked to the waves to see…

"Caron!"

The waves had dumped Caron on a seastack. Normally the dolphin could've easily leapt to safety, but the storm had left the dolphin paralyzed with fear for its life.

Skyle swam to Caron to try and save her, but the dolphin was too far up for Skyle to reach, leaving Skyle with only one option.

Skyle held out his arms shouting, "Jump, Caron! You can do it, girl! Jump!"

Despite the dolphin's fear, she leapt into Skyle's arms, knowing her merman friend keep her safe from harm.

Once Caron was safe in Skyle's arms, Skyle began swimming to the nearest cave, only to end up with his tail trapped between a tight gap between rocks that had been hidden beneath the sea. Unwilling to risk his friend's life, Skyle release Caron into the water.

"Get to the caves, girl!" said Skyle.

"I can't leave you!" protested Caron.

"GO! I'll be fine, I promise!" barked Skyle.

Caron hesitated but then obeyed the merman's wishes. Skyle never broke his promises, so that meant he'd be fine. Didn't it?  
At the cave, Olwydd pulled Caron in, but gasped as he shouted, "SKYLE!"

Skyle struggled to free his tail. The storm was getting worse and it was becoming painful to remain there as his tail was getting pinched and cut from the rocks. With a painful gasp, he jerked hard and finally freed himself.

But there was no time to celebrate. The last thing Skyle saw before being rendered unconscious was the sight of a gigantic wave that crashed into the cliff's side.

Meredith gasped in horror and leapt into action. She dove into the sea and frantically searched for Skyle. Eventually, she found him unconscious and wounded as he sank into the sea. Knowing Skyle would be shark chow with his injuries, Meredith dove in after Skyle, grabbed him with one arm and then brought him to the seashore.

In the morning, when the clouds had cleared, Meredith had managed to get Skyle onto shore, whereupon Dal swam down to them.

Meredith had already gotten to work tending to Skyle's injuries. She'd made a poultice of algae she'd crushed with a rock and used long strands of seaweed as makeshift bandages. But still the merman did not awaken.

"Is he okay?" asked Meredith, fretfully. She didn't want him to die. She couldn't bear it if she'd saved him just to lose him.

"It's hard to say," said Dal, softly. He looked as worried as Meredith did. "Put your head on his chest, see if you can hear anything."

Meredith did as she was told and placed her ear on Skyle's chest. She felt a wave of relief at the sound of Skyle's beating heart.  
'Well, his heart is beating.' She thought. But it wasn't enough. He needed more. He needed the sea. So with the help of Dal, Meredith brought Skyle back to the ocean and let him rest on a rock. He then started to breathe.

"Look!" Meredith said in relief. "He's breathing! He's so beautiful…"

Meredith began to sing as her mother's white shell necklace gave her to ability to heal Skyle completely.

Adwat and Cardiff then appeared on the shore and saw her with Skyle. Adwat's jaw-dropped but Dal closed it.

 _What would I give_  
 _to live where you are_  
 _What would I pay_  
 _to stay here beside you_  
 _What would I do to see you_  
 _Smiling at me…_  
 _Where would we swim?_  
 _Where would we soar?_  
 _If we could stay all day in the waves…?_  
 _Just you and me_  
 _And I can be_  
 _part of your world…_

And as soon as Meredith was about done healing him, Skyle opened his eyes slightly, trying to figure out who's singing and whatnot, but his vision was very blurry and disoriented, but he's able to notice her green eyes, her voice, and the glowing magic white shell around her neck, before closing his eyes again and passing out.

Suddenly, Meredith looked as she heard someone yelling, "There he is!" and saw Caron swimming towards them, just as Skyle had begun to regain consciousness again.

Caron saw Meredith and swam toward her. "He's alright Caron, take care of him," she said. But before Caron could ask how she knew her name, Meredith was gone.

She ran back to shore as Caron kissed her master's face. Olwydd ran over and helped the young prince up, saying, "You really delight in performing crazy stunts that play on my old ticker, don't you?"

Skyle, in daze, looked around, saying, "A girl… rescued me."

"Was it a human?" asked Olwydd, curiously.

"I'm not sure," said Skyle. He didn't think it was likely given how things were between humans and merpeople but he didn't rule out the possibility. "But she was singing and she had the most beautiful voice!"

In his dazed state of mind, Skyle nearly fell off the rock he was resting on, but was caught by his friends.

"Now, Skyle, I think you might've swallowed a bit too much land," Olwydd said with a chuckle as he put one of Skyle's arms around his shoulders. "Off we go."

From the shore, Meredith, Adwat, Cardiff, and Dal watched them leave as Adwat said, "We're just gonna forget this whole thing ever happened. The King will never know! You won't tell him, I won't tell him; I will stay in one piece."

Meredith started singing again.

 _I don't know when_  
 _I don't know how!_  
 _But I know something starting right now!_  
 _One day, you'll see_  
 _Someday I'll be_  
 _Part of your World!_

Unbeknownst to them, Fiachna and Fiachra were again spying, sending what they were witnessing to Aster's Crystal Ball, as the Witch went dramatic.

"Oh, no, no, no, no… I can't stand it… It's too easy! The child is in love with a merman! And not just any merman… a Prince!"  
Giggling evilly, she said, "Her Father will 'love' that… King Byrce's headstrong spirited daughter WOULD make a lovely addition to my little garden…"

Then Aster looked upon those who'd been transformed by her into seedling creatures as she cackled wickedly.


	5. Chapter 5

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me.**

Back home in the palace, Mari went to her father's bedchambers.

She'd overheard his argument with Meredith and had decided it was time to intervene on her sister's behalf. Despite how different Meredith was compared to the rest of their family, Mari loved all six of her younger siblings dearly and wanted them to be happy.

When she knocked on the door, she heard her father's voice on the other side. "Enter."

Mari entered his room. "Father, may I speak with you?"

Bryce, who was sitting at his desk dealing with paperwork, nodded. "Of course, dear. I always have time for my daughters. What is it?"

"It's a matter of no small importance, so I must ask…may I be frank, Father?"

Bryce looked concerned. Mari only asked to be frank when the situation was of the utmost seriousness. "Yes, of course. Whatever's the matter?"

Mari took a deep breath. "Father, I know it's not my place, but I need to ask you to change how you're parenting Meredith."

Bryce's eyes narrowed. "I beg your pardon?" He didn't take kindly to his methods being questioned by anyone, not even his first-born and heiress.

Mari did not flinch or look away from her father's piercing gaze, she merely met his gaze instead, which spoke volumes about her own strength and character.

"I overheard your conversation with her this morning," said Mari. Her tone was remarkably calm, which would've frightened anyone else. "I've held my tongue for too long and I must intercede on her behalf. You were unnecessarily harsh and cruel to Meredith after the concert debacle, and it isn't the first time that's happened."

"Your sister needs to know her place and she needs discipline if she's to succeed in life," said Bryce, sternly.

"And how will she succeed at anything if she's being stifled, suppressed and belittled by her own father?" retorted Mari. "How can anyone expect her to believe in herself, to feel good about herself, if her own blood-kin does not?"

Bryce opened his mouth to speak but Mari prevented him from saying a word.

"Meredith cannot learn to pick herself up if she's not allowed to fall. She's your youngest daughter, Mother's final gift to you, and she deserves to be treated far better than this!" said Mari. "Meredith loves you, but if you continue to act this way, you'll lose that love forever along with Meredith herself. Are you truly prepared to pay such a steep price in order to 'protect' her?"

Mari did not give her father a chance to reply as she then curtsied and let herself out of the room, leaving Bryce to ponder his eldest daughter's words.

A few days later, while she and the other princesses were busy preparing themselves for the day, Mari called out to her youngest sister.

"Meredith, dear! Time to come out! You've been in there all morning!"

Meredith walked out ever so gracefully, humming happily to herself as her sister crowded around her in curiosity, Maban saying, "What is with her lately?"

Meredith, lost in her thoughts, ignored them and almost ran into Bryce, gasping as she said, "Oh! Good morning, Father!"

She put a flower into Bryce's hair as he laughed a bit and he and his other sisters watched their youngest run off singing.

"Wow, she's got it bad!" Mari said.

"What? What has she got?" Bryce asked.

"Isn't it obvious, Bryce? Meredith's in love…" Meinwen said romantically happy for their sister.

"Meredith?" Bryce said, looking at the flower. "In love?"

Elsewhere, Adwat was pacing around on the forest, mumbling, "Ok, so far so good. I don't think the king knows yet. But it won't be easy keeping something like this a secret for long!"

Meredith was sitting by the river, softly humming to herself while she idly drew Skyle's image in the dirt with a stick.

"I wonder if he thinks about me at all?" murmured Meredith. "Is he looking for me? If he remembers me, does he love me as much as I love him?"

"Meredith! Stop this crazy-talk!" Adwat said, but he was ignored as Meredith said, "I have to see him again! Tonight! Dal knows where he lives!"

Meredith rose up and began walking away as Adwat followed her.

"Meredith! Please! Would you get your head out of the water and back in the air where it belongs?!"

"I'll swim up to the ocean! Then Cardiff will splash around to get his attention—!"

"Up HERE is your home!" Adwat said. He then walked up to Meredith's face, saying, "Meredith! Listen to me; the ocean is a mess…life on the land is better than anything they've got down there!"

When Meredith didn't reply, Adwat decided the best way was the direct approach. He took Meredith's hand and led her on an extensive tour of the forest and its beauty while explaining how wonderful life on land was and how it was far better than that of a life under the sea. Adwat show Meredith flowers, animals, butterflies and so much more.

Meredith listened very attentively, but when Adwat climbed up a tree to gather a rare flower to show her, Cardiff came up from behind. After getting Meredith's attention by nuzzling her hand, Cardiff whispered something into Meredith's ear, causing her face to light up in excitement. Deciding Adwat wouldn't notice she was gone, Meredith left with Cardiff.

When Adwat returned to the ground, he said, "If you see here, you'll notice that these delicate petals are actually—Meredith?" It was then that Adwat noticed that Meredith had vanished and judging by the tracks left in the dirt, she'd run off with her doggy friend.

Adwat's shoulders slumped in disappointment and he groaned. "One of these days I'm going to nail that girl's feet to the floor!"

"Adwat!"

At the sound of his name being called, Adwat turned to see the king's herald, Vaughn, who ran over to him, saying, "Adwat, I've been looking everywhere for you; I have an urgent message from the king!"

"The king?" Adwat asked.

"He wants to see you right away!" Vaughn said, "He says it's something about Meredith!"

When he ran off, Adwat gasped as he whispered, "He knows!"

On his throne, Bryce was chuckling as he looked at the flower, saying, "Let's see now… Who could the lucky guy be?"

Then Bryce noticed Adwat peeking from behind the corner of the entrance of the throne room. Clearing his throat as he hid the flower, Bryce said, "Uh, come in, Adwat!"

Adwat walked into full view, taking a deep breath as he said to himself, "I mustn't overreact; I must remain calm."

He walked along the floor towards the king and when he was close enough, he bowed and spoke in a squeaky quack, "YES?!"

He cleared his throat and calmly said, "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Adwat," Bryce said in a kingly voice. "I'm concerned about Meredith. Have you noticed she's been acting unusual lately?"

"Oh! Um, unusual?" Adwat asked nervously.

"You know," Bryce said, looking at the prongs of his trident. "All morning she's… Daydreaming… singing to herself. You haven't noticed?"

"Oh, well, um…" Adwat said.

"Adwat…?"

"Hmm?"

Bryce beckoned him closer, and as Adwat backed up into a wall, the king said, "I KNOW you've been keeping something from me…"

Gulping, Adwat asked with a nervous smile, "Keeping something…?"

"About Meredith…?" Bryce asked with a sneaky look.

Adwat noticed his legs were shaking but hid them as he asked, "Meredith…?"

"In love…?" Bryce asked with a sneaky smile.

Adwat lost it as he shouted while grabbing Bryce's shoulders, "I TRIED TO STOP HER, SIRE! She wouldn't listen! I TOLD her to stay away from Merfolk! They are bad, they are evil!"

"Merfolk?" Bryce said, but then rose him fiercely saying as his scepter glowed scarily in his grasp, "What ABOUT Merfolk… ?!"

Adwat was all wide-eyed as he realized his mistake and nervously chuckled, "Merfolk? Who said anything about Merfolk…?"

Then Bryce grabbed Adwat by the collar.

Back at Meredith's collection room, Cardiff led her inside as she asked, "Cardiff, why don't you just tell me what this is all about?"

"It's a surprise!" Cardiff said as he showed her.

Meredith gasped when she saw it; it was the figurine Olwydd had presented to Skyle.

"Cardiff…!" She gasped. She hugged him, saying, "Cardiff, you're the best!"

Running over to it, held it, and she said, "It looks just like him, it even has his eyes! 'Why, Skyle! Elope with you? This is all so…so sudden.'"

Giggling she twirled around and gasped in terror as she saw him, standing in the shadows…

"Father!"

Gasping, Cardiff hid as Bryce began to talk in a low, eerie, disapproving tone, "I consider myself a reasonable man… I set certain rules and I EXPECT those rules to be obeyed!"

"But Father-"

"Is it true, Meredith?! You rescued a merman from a storm?!"

"Father, I had to-"

"Contact with the mer-world is strictly forbidden! Meredith, you KNOW that! EVERYONE knows that!"

"I don't regret what I did. It's important to help those in real need, even if it means defying you. He would've died!"

"One less Merman to worry about."

"How can you say that? You don't even know him…"

"'Know him?!' I don't have to KNOW him! They're all the same! Spineless, savage, human-eaters! Incapable of any feelings!"

Meredith glared at Bryce. "Listen to yourself! If Mother could hear you right now, she'd be as disgusted with you as I am!"

"Your mother would want you to be safe!" roared Bryce. "She'd want you to obey me! Not commit treason by rescuing our enemies!"

"Shut up," muttered Meredith.

"Disgusted with me, you say? That is where you're wrong! Were she here, your mother would be ashamed of you!"

The words were like a slap to Meredith's face. "Shut up! Don't you dare, don't you DARE say Mother would be ashamed of me!"

Meredith may have been quite young when her mother died and she may not have remembered as much of her mother as everyone else, but what little she did remember was enough for Meredith to know that Bryce's words were a lie. Meredith's mother would've been proud of Meredith for doing the right thing.

"Silence!" yelled Bryce. "I am your king as well as your father and you will do as I say! I don't care what I have to do, but I will keep you away from that cruel world under the sea and away from those heartless monsters, especially that filthy spineless merman—"

Meredith lost it.

"HE'S NOT LIKE THAT! FATHER, I LOVE HIM!" Meredith shouted, but gasped at what she'd said.

"No…!" Bryce whispered but then shouted, "Have you lost your senses completely?! HE'S A MERMAN! YOU'RE A HUMAN!"

"I don't care…"

"So help me, Meredith! I am going to get through to you once and for all! And if THIS is the only way…" Bryce said as he held up his scepter, he said in a monstrous tone, "…so be it!"

Bryce then set loose the powerful energy of his scepter on all the treasures Meredith had worked so long to collect, destroying everything she'd ever worked for, ignoring her frightened, pleading screams, "No! Father, stop! Please! Father, stop it!"

She ran to his shoulder then gasped as her grabbed the figurine of Skyle from her hands, and raised it high above his head.

"FATHER, NOOOOOO!"

But Meredith's pleas fell on deaf ears as Bryce, with a look of unreasonable anger and rage, dropped the figurine and it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Meredith looked around; everything. All her treasures. All she had collected. Destroyed, taken from her in a matter of seconds. She broke into tears as she cried onto a rock.

"You've really done it this time father…" she whispered in a low, threatening voice. With an angry yet unsure look on his face, he reached to touch her. She turned back and glared at him. "GET OUT OF HERE! I HATE YOU, FATHER!"

The rage Meredith was feeling threatened to overwhelm her. A single glance at Meredith's eyes and one would swear they could feel Meredith's anger as though it were their own.

Shocked, and with a face full of regret, Bryce departed. Adwat and Cardiff went over to the crying princess as Adwat said, "Meredith, I-"

"Just go away…" Meredith whispered without looking up.

Knowing better than to press, Adwat and Cardiff sadly left as well.


	6. Chapter 6

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me.**

Once she was alone, Meredith was unable to prevent the wave of despairing thoughts and devastating emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

She was distraught and not just because Bryce had destroyed her treasures. Everything that had ever gone wrong in her life, everything that was upsetting her in some form or another, all her pains both big and small, ate at her.

Ever since her mother had died, Meredith's life had not been an easy one. She fought with Bryce almost constantly and his harsh words left her feeling so inadequate; she didn't fit in with her people or even her sisters, she'd just lost the collection she'd spent years collecting, and to top it all off, she was in love with a merman who probably had no idea she even existed and nor was there any way for them to be together.

In saving Skyle's life, Meredith had condemned herself to a love that was either star-crossed or unrequited. Either way, the pain Meredith was feeling was more than she could bear.

Meredith felt like wailing like a child as she considered what to do next. She couldn't return home, back to a world where she was always compared to her perfect sisters and rejected for loving instead of fearing a world that her father didn't understand. Nor could she bear to continue living with the heartbreak she was feeling anymore.

Her mother would understand. Her mother wouldn't make Meredith feel unloved or inadequate. If Meredith was with her mother, everything would be okay again. She wouldn't feel such unbearable pain anymore.

A tiny sob escaped Meredith's throat as she ran as fast as her feet would carry her to the nearest cliff.

Unbeknownst to Meredith, Adwat and Cardiff followed her and when they called out for her to stop, Meredith didn't hear them.

Maybe it was selfish, but Meredith saw no way out. She had nothing to go back to, no reason to continue onwards. This was her only choice. As tears slid down Meredith's cheeks, she closed her eyes, extended her arms and then jumped.

Not too far from the cliffs, Skyle lay on a rock, soaking in the sun and thinking of the girl who'd saved his life. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the very faint but distinctive sound of voices yelling.

Skyle looked to his right and to his horror, he saw a human girl jump off the cliff.

'Great Poseidon!' thought Skyle.

Without hesitation, Skyle dove into the sky and swam as fast as he could to the cliffs to try and save the girl. By the time he arrived, the girl had sunk into the sea and when he pulled her up to the surface, he saw that she was sporting a terrible head wound from hitting the rocks.

"Miss, wake up! Please, wake up!" begged Skyle.

But the girl did not awaken. She was growing paler and her breathing fainter. She was dying and quickly.

Skyle didn't know why, but he felt protective if not loving of this human girl. He didn't know what had caused her to jump, but he did know that he didn't want her to die. She had to live. She just had to.

Skyle bit his lip and racked his brains for a solution and then it came to him. Legend spoke of a witch who lived in a cave not too far from Skyle's position. A witch with untold power who could grant any wish for a price if one was willing to pay.

Skyle had no desire to see the witch, not after all the terrifying stories he'd been told, but there was no choice. If the girl was to survive, Skyle had to see her.

Quick as he could, Skyle swam to the witch's cave. There was a tunnel in the rocks beneath the sea that led to a pool in the witch's cave. When Skyle arrived, a voice said, "I don't usually tolerate trespassers in my cave."

Skyle nearly jumped out of his skin and then he saw to whom the voice belonged. The Witch was dressed in black robes. She was tall and slender with pale skin and magenta hair. She was quite beautiful but also terrifying. The look in her eyes sent cold shivers down Skyle's spine.

"I'm not trying to trespass," said Skyle.

"Then what is it you want? As if I couldn't guess…" said the Witch.

Skyle carefully placed the girl onto the cave floor. "Can you save her?"

The Witch knelt down to the girl and ran a bony finger over the girl's body. "She attempted to take her own life. Her heart is broken. She has little will to live."

"I guessed as much," said Skyle, sadly.

"Then why ask for my help? Do you love this girl?"

"I can't explain what I feel," confessed Skyle. The storm of emotions Skyle felt were beyond explanation. "But I do know this, I can't sit back and watch her die. She should have the chance to survive, to actually live. If she survived, I'd protect her with my life and do all in my power to make her happy. Can you save her?"

The Witch paused for a moment and then nodded. "I can. But magic comes with a price and yours will be a great one."

"Name it."

Skyle did not care what the price was. He just wanted the girl to survive.

"For the girl to live, you must forget her. When you leave here, you will not remember any of what's just happened. You won't even recall the feelings you feel at this moment," said the Witch. "Do we have a deal?"

Skyle hesitated. Forget the girl? Could he really do that? But then Skyle looked at the girl and knew he had no choice. His memory was a small price to pay for the girl's life.

"Do you swear she'll do more than just survive? Do you swear that she'll live?"

The Witch nodded. "You have my word."

"Then I agree."

The Witch produced a contract and after Skyle signed it, the Witch chanted an incantation and then in the blink of an eye, the girl was healed and began to awaken and Skyle had been magically returned to his kingdom with no memory of the incident.

Once alone with Meredith, Aster set her plan into motion.

Meredith groaned as she came to. "Uh…where am I?" she murmured. When Meredith's eyes opened, she saw that she was in an unfamiliar cave with weird seedlings that looked alive and Aster was looking at her. Meredith shot up in fear. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

"Shh, easy, little one," said Aster, in a sweet voice. "You're safe here."

"Safe?" echoed Meredith, in disbelief. "How am I safe? I don't even know who you are or why I'm here."

"You're here because the merman you so desperately love brought you to me to save your life. As for my identity, I am Aster the witch. I saved your life," she said.

Meredith's heart skipped a beat. "What?"

She couldn't believe it. Skyle had saved her life and the Witch, the one that she'd always been told to fear, had saved her life? Free of the emotions that had led her to make the choice she had, it then fully settled on Meredith what she'd tried to do and she felt sick to her stomach. How could she have even contemplated such a thing? Then she remembered Skyle.

"Thank you for saving my life. I'm grateful. But I have to know…Skyle. Where is he? I want to see him," said Meredith.  
Skyle had rescued her. Maybe now they could finally talk and Meredith could make her love for him known.

"I'm afraid he's not here, dear. You see, the price Skyle had to pay for your life was that of his memory of saving your life and bringing you here," explained Aster.

Tears came to Meredith's eyes and her heart sank. She was right back where she'd started. She had nothing to go back to and the one she loved didn't remember her. What was the point of it all?

Aster placed a hand on Meredith's shoulder. "There, there, angel. There's no need for tears. There's a way for you to have all you want."

"There is?" asked Meredith, as she sniffled.

"Indeed. You see, little angel, the solution to your problem is simple; the only way you can get what you want, is to become a mermaid yourself."

Meredith only lightly gasped.

"Can you really do that?" She then asked as she bit her bottom lip.

With a sneaky gleam, Aster said to her, "My dear, sweet child… that's what I do! It's what I live for… To help unfortunate people, like yourself! Poor souls with no one else to turn to…" She walked to the girl and gently placed a hand on her cheek.

Meredith looked away and Aster just smiled wider.

 _I admit that in the past I've been a nasty_  
 _They weren't kidding when they called me_  
 _Well, a witch_  
 _But you'll find that nowadays_  
 _I've mended all my ways_  
 _Repented, seen the light_  
 _And made a switch_

"True? Yes…" Aster said to Meredith.

 _And I fortunately know a little magic_  
 _It's a talent that I always have possessed_

She headed over to her cauldron which opened with a flick of her wrists. The light from it gave her skin a purplish glow.

 _And here lately, please don't laugh_  
 _I use it on behalf_  
 _Of the miserable, lonely, and depressed- Pathetic!_

She summoned two figures of people that didn't look really happy.

 _Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need_  
 _This one longing to be thinner_  
 _That want wants to get the girl_  
 _And do I help them?_  
 _Yes, indeed!_

She snapped her fingers and the two figures turned to perfect and hugged each other. Adwat couldn't help but shake madly as he entered the cave. Cardiff walked forward trying to see what was going on.

 _Those poor unfortunate souls_  
 _So sad, so true_  
 _They come waltzing to my door_  
 _And they ask me for a spell_  
 _And I help them, yes I do_  
 _Though it's happened once or twice_  
 _Someone couldn't pay the price_  
 _And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em_  
 _'Cross the soil_

With another turn of her wrist the two figures turned into the creatures, exactly like the ones Meredith saw when she woke up.

 _Yes, I've had the odd complaint_  
 _But on the whole I've been a saint_  
 _To those poor unfortunate souls_

Meredith gasped as she looked at the seedling creatures; they'd all once been humans! Then Aster wrapped an arm around her, saying, "Now here's the deal: I will make a potion that will change you into a mermaid for three months. Uh, got that? THREE months. And listen, THIS is important. Before the full moon of the third month rises, you've got to get that merprince to fall in love with you! That is… he's got to kiss you. Not just any kiss… the Kiss of True Love…!"

Cardiff and Adwat finally got to the part of the cave where they could see Meredith clearly. Adwat stopped shaking and Cardiff glared at how the princess was actually listening to the witch.

"If he does kiss you before the third full moon's rising, not only will he regain his memory of you, but you'll also remain a mermaid forever! But if he doesn't… you change back into a human… And you belong… to me…!"

"NO, MEREDITH!" Said the voice of Adwat. Meredith turned just in time to see her friends being shushed by Fiachna and Fiachra to insure they didn't interfere, Adwat trying to escape.

"Have we got a deal?" Aster asked.

"If I become a Mermaid…" Meredith said with realization. "I'll never be with my Father or sisters again…"

"That's right!" Aster said with spurious comprehension. "But… You'll have your Merman! Life's full of tough choices, isn't it…? But I'm willing to let your two friends come with you, as a sign of good faith. Oh! There is one more matter; we haven't discussed the subject of a price! You can't get something for nothing, you know."

"But I don't have any-" Meredith tried to say, but Aster placed a hand over Meredith's mouth as she said, "I'm not asking much! Now you will be a complete stranger to the merfolk, and in order to even have an opportunity to see the merprince, you have to show that you are a mermaid princess... And there is a special necklace that is given to all mermaid princesses, to signify their royal lineage... I'll offer to exchange the necklace to you in exchange for the white shell necklace you are wearing...

"This? But it's a memento of my Mother, and it's part of the reason I sing so well…"

"Then, sweetcheeks, you don't sing anymore!" Aster shrugged. "And there's something else. In exchanging of necklaces is only the first step... the real price for actually BECOMING a mermaid would be your singing."

"But without my singing, how can I…"

"You'll have your looks! Your pretty face! And DON'T underestimate the importance of… BODY LANGUAGE, HA!" The witch laughed before walking to her cabinets and opened them wide.

 _The mermen there don't like a lot of singing_  
 _They think a mermaid who sings is a bore_  
 _Yes, in the sea it's much preferred_  
 _For mermaids not to sing a note_  
 _And after all, dear_  
 _What is an opera for?_  
 _Come on!_  
 _They're not all that impressed with songs_  
 _True gentlemen avoid it when they can_  
 _But they dote and swoon and fawn_  
 _On a mermaid who's withdrawn_  
 _It's she who holds her tongue_  
 _Who gets her merman_

Aster began to throw random things out of the cabinets and they landed in the cauldron with massive explosions. Meredith flinched backwards and gasped with wide eyes.

 _Come on, you poor unfortunate soul!_  
 _Go ahead, make your choice!_  
 _I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day_  
 _It won't cost much, just your necklace!_  
 _You poor unfortunate soul_  
 _It's sad, but true!_

The last ingredients was added and the last massive explosion was made before Aster took Meredith's shoulder and smiled as wide as she could while pulling her away from the cauldron.

Aster then conjured a glowing contract as she continued.

 _To make this a reality,_  
 _You've got to see the toll_  
 _Take a gander, don't be shy,_  
 _Step right up and sign the scroll_  
 _Fiachna, Fiachra, now I've got her, girls_

With boldness in her heart, Meredith signed the scroll.

 _The choice is up to you…!_  
 _You POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL…!_  
 _Beluga, sevruga, come winds_  
 _Of the Caspian Sea_  
 _Larynxes, glacydis, ad max_  
 _Laryngitis la voce to me_

Then with a look of madness in her eyes, the Witch hissed, "Now… Sing!"

Meredith began to vocalize as Aster shouted, "Keep singing!"

Aster's magic fogged around Meredith's necklace and pulled it off, her singing was in the necklace, Aster grabbed the necklace as she licked her teeth. She then tossed the mermaid necklace to Meredith's neck.

Aster then began cackling madly as her potion began its work as Meredith, Adwat, and Cardiff were encased in a bubble of magic. From inside Adwat and Cardiff watched in horror as Meredith began to transform. Meredith thrashed around violently, as her legs were beginning to fuse together. Brilliant, turquoise scales begin to form on Meredith's legs. She screamed as she felt her feet form into a turquoise fin. A lens formed in each of her eyes, to allow her to see underwater. Adwat's hands and feet became webbed and grew gills. Cardiff turned into a spotted dolphin and the deed was done.

The bubble holding Meredith popped, causing her to fall to the ground. Meredith, now a mermaid, begin flopping on the ground like a fish out of water. Adwat quickly ran up and grabbed them and running as fast as he desperately could, Aster's evil laugh echoing throughout the cave, he ran to the sea and dove in the sea. Meredith and Cardiff rose up and broke the surface, taking in the air. They soon headed for a long swim towards Sklye's kingdom.


	7. Chapter 7

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me**

When Bryce returned to the castle in a rather somber mood, Mari suspected that something had happened. Earlier, Morgan had seen their father storm away from the castle in a great rage and reported this to her elder sister. Her father's mood swings were usually a sign of trouble and Mari feared that Meredith was somehow involved.

"Father?" said Mari, as she followed him into his room. "Is something wrong? What's happened?"

Bryce hesitated and then sighed. "There's been an incident with Meredith."

Mari's blood ran cold. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine. But I fear you were right about my losing her love," said Bryce. He looked regretful and ashamed. "Mari, I fear I've done something terrible."

Mari became angry and apprehensive. "What did you do?" she demanded.

Bryce told Mari of how he'd learned that not only had Meredith been secretly collecting treasures from the sea, but had also rescued a merprince and fallen in love with him. He told Mari of his anger over Meredith's anger, how he'd destroyed Meredith's treasures and how it had resulted in Meredith declaring her hatred of the king.

The more Mari listened, the angrier she became on her sister's behalf and when Bryce finished his tale, Mari slapped her father's cheek.

"How could you?" growled Mari. "How could you do that to her? You know how much Meredith loves the sea! How could you destroy one of the few things that loves and makes her happy?"

"I was angry…" was Bryce's feeble excuse, as he clutched his stinging cheek. "She said your mother would be disgusted with me."

"She was right! Mother wouldn't just be disgusted with you, she'd be ashamed of you and she'd never speak to you again!" said Mari, furiously. "And how DARE you tell Meredith that Mother would've been ashamed of her? You know Mother wouldn't have cared who Meredith loved as long as it made her happy! Morally, Meredith did nothing wrong and she should not have been bullied for doing what was right!"

"Mari…"

"NO!" interrupted Mari. She'd put up with her father's controlling ways for far too long and she would deal with it no more. "I'm sorry, but I'm putting my foot down. I warned you this would happen. You didn't listen and now you must pay the price. Pray that you might earn God's forgiveness, for you won't have mine and I doubt you'll ever gain Meredith's. When Meredith returns, I will make arrangements for her and the rest of my sisters to reside elsewhere until the time comes for me to claim the throne. I will see to it that Meredith will be free to be who she is and follow her heart without you to bully her."

Mari cast one last furious look at her father before storming away.

XXXXXXXXXX

A few miles away from Skyle's castle, he was playing his flute to the same melody of the song he'd heard Meredith sing. When he stopped, Caron curiously asked, "What are you thinking about, Skyle?" Skyle answered, "That voice… I can't get it out of my head. I've looked everywhere, Caron, where could she be?"

Not far, Meredith was lying on the sand, tired, and woke up and saw Cardiff as a dolphin. "Cardiff? Is that you?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"Meredith?" asked Cardiff.

Meredith nodded and then felt a wave of guilt and remorse and she swept Cardiff into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she cried. "Please, forgive me. I'm so, so sorry."

How could she have even considered leaving Cardiff in such a manner after he'd been a loyal, loving friend for so many years? Meredith didn't deserve him as a friend.

But Cardiff was neither angry nor judging. He nuzzled Meredith affectionately and then licked her cheek when they pulled apart.

"It's okay," he assured her. "It's okay. I forgive you." He tilted his head in confusion. "Why is your voice raspy?"

Meredith touched her throat. "This must be one of the witch's prices. I can't let Skyle hear me like this."

It's not all bad," said Cardiff. "I'll just tell him that you lost your voice."

Meredith smiled. "Thanks Cardiff." She lifted up and gasped; she saw to her surprise, a turquoise mermaid's fin! With a smile, she wagged her new tail when she heard a familiar voice.

"Well, look what the catfish dragged in!"

Dal swam down, landing next to Meredith's fin, saying, "Look at ya, look at ya! There's something different! Don't tell me! It's your hairdo, right? You've been brushing your hair, right?!"

Meredith smiled and shook her head. "Nope."

"No? Well, lemme see… New jewels…? …No jewels…"

Then Meredith began lightly moving her tail, up and down as he said, "I gotta admit I can't put my flipper on it right now but if I just lay here long enough I oughta-"

"SHE'S GOT FINS, YOU IDIOT!" Adwat screamed, surprising Dal. "She traded her mother's necklace to the witch and got fins, GEEZ!"

"I knew that…" Dal said smarmily.

"Yeah, Meredith turned into a mermaid!" Cardiff explained as Meredith tried to swim up but was having trouble with it. "She's gonna make the merprince fall in love with her and then he's gonna kiss her!"

"And she's only has three months!" Adwat concluded as Meredith fell to the ocean floor. "Just look at her, fins! On MERMAID fins!"

Adwat then gasped, "My nerves have shot, this is a catastrophe! What is the king gonna say?! I'll tell you what her father would say. He'd say he's gonna kill me, that's what her father would say!"

Adwat began go back to the castle, saying, "I'm going to march myself home right now-"

But Meredith grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking her head, saying "No!" making him say, "And don't you say 'no' to me young lady! Perhaps there's still time; we could get that witch to give you back your necklace, you could go home with all the normal forest animals and just be-"

But Meredith's sad face began to melt his heart and Adwat suddenly remembered that Meredith had almost succeeded in taking her own life because of heartbreak. He couldn't risk that happening again, especially not because of him. She deserved happiness and she deserved to chance to love and be loved like anyone else.

"Just be miserable for the rest of your life…" he finished, before sighing. "All right, all right. I'll try to help you find that merprince…"

With rejoice, Meredith gave Adwat a kiss, saying "Thank you!" as he said, "Boy… What an old softie I'm turning out to be…"

"Now Meredith, I'm telling ya, if ya wanna be mermaid the first thing ya gotta do is swim like one!" Dal said as he swam up. "Now follow my lead…"

Not far, Skyle and Caron were swimming around, when Caron sniffed something. Excitedly, she said, "Skyle, follow me!", and swam off, getting Skyle to follow as he shouted, "Caron!"

Back at where they were, Dal was teaching Meredith to swim, "Looking good, kid!"

Meredith twisted and turned in the water. They then heard Caron Chirping as she approached. Cardiff, frightened, swam behind a rock as Dal swam off and Adwat hid in the seaweed. Caron excitedly chased Meredith, who tried to avoid her by sitting on a tall rock. She then gave her a nuzzle as Skyle showed up.

"Caron!"

Caron went over to him and showed him to Meredith, surprising him. As Skyle approached, Meredith pulled back her hair to make herself look more presentable as Skyle asked, "You ok, miss? I'm sorry if Caron scared ya, she's harmless really."

But then Skyle noticed Meredith's smiling face.

"You… seem very familiar to me," Skyle said. "Have we met?"

Meredith nodded, making Skyle excited.

"I knew it; you're the one! The one I've been looking for, what's your name?"

Meredith swam to get Cardiff. She whispered something to him. "She says her name is Meredith," Cardiff said.

"Meredith, it's beautiful."

Meredith blushed and smiled. But then Skyle said, "But why won't you talk?"

Meredith swam up to him and whispered, "I lost my voice."

"Oh, I see. So, where are you from?"

Meredith whispered to Cardiff. "Ah… we're from really far away."

Skyle noticed the necklace Aster gave her. "That necklace, that must mean you're a princess."

Meredith nodded excitedly. She tried to whisper to him who she was, but suddenly her lips closed shut. Meredith blew out her lips in frustration. But then Meredith tried to communicate with her hands as Skyle said, "What is it? …You're hurt? No… You need help."

But then Meredith fell from the rock she was sitting on, and Skyle caught her, saying, "Whoa, whoa! Careful! You must've really been through something. Don't worry, I'll help you. Come on."

She whispered, "Can my friends come?" Skyle looked back and saw Cardiff, Dal, and Adwat. He smiled. "Sure, the more the merrier."

Skyle led Meredith, Cardiff, Dal and Adwat to his castle as Meredith looked back to see Dal give her a wink and Cardiff gave her an encouraging smile.

As they headed to the palace, Caron swam next to Cardiff. "Sorry if I scared you before. I was just excited to see your friend."

"That's okay. The truth is, I'm shy around pretty girls," said Cardiff, blushing.

Caron giggled. "Well, I think it's adorable. I think you're adorable."

"So are you," blurted out Cardiff.

His blush deepened when he realized he'd said that aloud and he tried to cover his face with his fins as Caron's giggles increased.

"Don't be so embarrassed. I think you're swell," said Caron. "Want to come play kick-the-clam with me and my friends after dinner? Afterwards, we're going exploring in Neptune's cave."

Cardiff's face lit up. "I'd love to!"

No one said a word on how the two of them were swimming rather closer to each other now or how they kept glancing at one another out of the corner of their eyes.

Later, Meredith was in a bedroom, much to her delight and curiosity as the maid, Coralia, was brushing her hair and said, "Washed up near the shore? Oh you poor thing. We'll help you feel better in no time!"

Adwat peeked through the door, but hid as Coralia swim towards the door, "The maids will get you dressed."

Soon Adwat and Coralia were swimming through the halls as some more maids were working around the castle.

"Well you must've at least heard of this new girl!"

"No, we haven't!"

"But I mean really, this mermaid shows up near the shore and says she can't sing. It's not my idea of a princess. If Skyle's looking for a girl I know a few highly available young ladies."

Soon they went into the kitchen. There were vegetarian meals everywhere. 'I these guess merfolk aren't cannibals' thought Adwat with relief.

In the dining room, Olwydd said, "Oh, Skyle, mermaids don't just go rescuing merfolk on land and disappear without a trace!"

"I'm telling ya, Olwydd, she was real! And something in my heart tells me that the mermaid I found is the one!" Skyle said. Then to himself, "And when she sings, I'm gonna marry her…"

Then at the door, Coralia led Meredith in, saying, "Come on, dearrie, don't be shy."

Meredith slowly swam in, wearing a beautiful dress of blue. The skirt was layered and ruffled with a beautiful tied bow at the waist, the sleeves were delicate lace in a lovely diamond pattern with ruffles at the cuffs and shoulders. Skyle was awestruck as Olwydd walked up, saying, "Oh, Skyle. Isn't she a vision of beauty?"

"You look wonderful!" Skyle said, making Meredith smile timidly.

"Come, come, dear," Olwydd said, taking Meredith's hand. "You must be famished!"

Skyle helped Meredith with her seat as Olwydd said, "There now, there we go. Uh. It's - It's not often that we have such a lovely dinner guest, eh Skyle?"

Skyle and Olwydd took their seats "Oh, uh, Coralia, my dear, what's for dinner?"

"Oh, you're gonna love it!" Coralia said. "Chef Louis is making his specialties. For the appetizer, you'll enjoy seaweed salad with coral flacks. For the entrée, there'll be musselsprout soup with sea-potatoes and sand dollars to dip in it. And for desert, a moon berry soufflé with seanuts."

At the sound of a bell coming from the kitchen, Coralia excused herself, saying, "I'll good get dinner."

When Coralia entered the kitchen she bumped into Adwat, who was attempting to escape the kitchen unseen.

"Oh, goodness me!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, I do beg your pardon, miss," said Adwat. He seemed smitten by Coralia, for he gave her a respectful bow and kissed her hand. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Adwat, the guardian of your guest and I seem to have lost my way. Could you direct me to her bedchambers so that I might await her return?"

Coralia blushed from Adwat's gentlemanly behavior and curtsied to him. "I certainly can. Forgive me for being so bold, but I have tomorrow off from work. Would you care to join me on a stroll in the garden?"

"I would love to."

"Then it's a date."

While Coralia was busy in the kitchen, Olwydd said, "Perhaps, Skyle, you could take this fine young lady on a tour of the kingdom."

But he noticed Skyle looking at Meredith with a dreamy look as Coralia came back with Adwat, and placed the succulent dishes in front of everyone.

"I'm sorry, Olwydd, what were you saying?" Skyle asked.

"You can't spend all your time in the castle, you need to get out!" Olwydd said as he lifted the dome-shaped cover of his dish.

"Well, it sounds like a good idea," Skyle said, then he looked at Meredith, "Well, what do you think? Would you like a tour of my kingdom tomorrow?"

Meredith nodded with a smile, making Olwydd say, "Wonderful! Now, let's eat."

Soon, they all started eating. Meredith looked curiously at the strange salad placed it in her mouth. It was delicious!

That night, Meredith was in a room, looking down from the balcony as she watched Skyle play with Caron in the sea garden. Skyle noticed he was being watched and waved, surprising Meredith, who waved back before disappearing into her room as Skyle smiled. Adwat was lending on the wall, "I guess today wasn't so bad. That Coralia seems kind of charming."

Meredith lied down on the big comfy seabed as Adwat went on.

"Now we must plan to get that merman to kiss you; tomorrow when he takes you for that ride you must look your best!"

Adwat gave visual demonstrations as he said, "You gotta…bat your eyes like this! You gotta pucker your wipspth… wike dis!"

Then Adwat noticed Meredith was asleep, looking like an angel. With a smile, he went over, saying, "You are hopeless, child, you know that? Completely hopeless…"

XXXXXX

That night in Freyagard, Mari ran into the courtyard to meet Vaughn, who'd just met up with the Captain of the Guards. When a number of hours had gone by with no sign of Meredith's return, Mari had become worried and ordered search parties to locate her youngest sister.

"Has she been found?" asked Mari, before Vaughn could speak.

Vaughn sadly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but no. We've been searching everywhere but there's been no sign of your sister, Cardiff or Adwat."

Tears came to Mari's eyes and she felt her worry increase. Meredith had a tendency to be away for long hours, especially after a quarrel with the king, but she'd never been gone so long. Mari was beginning to fear the worst. She blamed herself. She knew Meredith would've been more devastated than ever after what occurred between Meredith and their father. Why hadn't Mari gone after her?

"Well, keep looking! Leave no stone unturned, no land unexplored. Let no one in this kingdom sleep until she's safe at home!" ordered Mari.

Vaughn sighed and bowed. "Yes, Your Highness. Shall I inform the king of the news?"

"No, I'll do it and then join the searches myself," said Mari, firmly.

Without another word, Mari went to throne room where Bryce and her sisters were gathered, waiting for news and comforting each other during the crisis.

Mari's sisters were also worried sick for their youngest sister's well-being and were blaming themselves for her disappearance, feeling that if they'd been better, more attentive and caring siblings then Meredith would be home safe and sound. They planned to make amends when Meredith returned and they had unanimous consented to Mari's plans to leave the castle and live elsewhere until it was time for Mari to take the throne. They loved their father deeply but the price of his love was too great a cost to pay anymore.

Astoundingly, the princesses' worry was nothing in comparison to the king's. Bryce's shame in driving away his daughter had left him a complete and utter wreck. He couldn't stop thinking about how cruel and harsh he'd been to Meredith both in the past and in the present, the look of anger and devastation on her face after he'd destroyed her treasures, and how much it hurt to know that he was responsible for the current situation. He wished more than anything that he'd been more accepting of Meredith's uniqueness and cherished her like the treasure she was.

When Mari made her presence known, her family immediately flocked to her and began asking questions.

"What news is there of Meredith?" asked Mared.

"Has she been found?" asked Morgan.

"Is she all right?" asked Morwen.

"Is she hurt?" asked Meinwen.

"Can we see her?" asked Maban.

"What's happened to Meredith? Do the guards know?" asked Bryce.

Mari sadly shook her head, causing their faces to fall and tears to come to their eyes. "There's been no luck yet. But we mustn't give up hope. The guards are going to keep looking and I'm going to join them. Would anyone like to come with me?"

Two of Mari's sisters volunteered to go while the other three were to stay home. Tomorrow the three eldest would come home to rest and the other three would take their places in the search along with their father.

After the three eldest princesses departed, the princesses who remained went to retrieve bottles of laudanum from the Court Physician so that they might sleep and be well-rested for tomorrow's search.

Alone with nothing but his thoughts and emotions, Bryce fell to his knees and gazed at the portrait of his beloved late wife.

"Forgive me, my love. Forgive me," he cried. Tears slid down his cheeks as he bowed his head and prayed. "Please, Father who art in heaven, please return my little princess to me, safe and sound. I'm so, so sorry. Please, let her come home!"

What had he done? What had he done?


	8. Chapter 8

**I thank Brightfire15 for helping me.**

The next day looked like it would be a beautiful one under the sea. The waves were gentle and the sun shined through them.

Skyle and Meredith were pretty excited today. It would be Meredith's first time exploring a sea kingdom and Skyle intended to show her everything he possibly could. Meredith didn't care how long the tour took as she didn't want to miss a thing and since the spell would last for three months, Meredith figured she could use this time to get to know the place she always dreamed about as well as Skyle. True-love's-kiss would have to wait.

"Ready to go?" asked Skyle.

Meredith eagerly nodded and took Skyle's offered hand as he helped her into his carriage. The carriage was a giant white clam shell pulled by magnificent giant gold seahorses with dark auburn manes.

When Skyle and Meredith were settled in, Skyle gripped the reins and gave them a flick. "Yah!"

The seahorses neighed in response and then took off.

As they rode, Cardiff found Adwat. "Did he kiss her yet?"

Adwat shook his head. "Not yet."

Cardiff groaned and then he felt a tap from behind. He turned around to see Cardiff had come up behind him.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Caron.

"Yep," said Cardiff.

"Great. Let's go then. I've got so much to show you! You're going to love it!" said Caron, excitedly.

Cardiff smiled as he swam away with Caron and tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach he had from her presence.

When they arrived at their intended destination, the sight of the merfolks' village took Meredith's breath away.

There were buildings made of out coral or pearl or gold; shop windows displaying merpeople artifacts that Meredith had never seen before and others that held items she'd collected, food stalls displaying succulent food that Meredith had never seen before and so much more.

Merpeople and all manner of sea creatures beyond counting as they went about their business, shopping and trading at the shops, and conversing with one another. Merchildren laughed and smiled as they played together.

Everywhere Meredith looked, there was something new to see and take in. It was beyond her wildest dreams.

Then she noticed merfolk dancing. Skyle offered her his hand and she gladly accepted. As they danced a beautiful dance, Meredith felt as though she was in a dream for it was just too good to be true.

They were a beautiful sight and the envy of others who watched.

Time flies when you're having fun, and this was certainly true in Meredith's case for the next thing she knew, the wonderful day she was having with Skyle had ended.

When nightfall came, they returned to the castle where they enjoyed a hot meal for their dinner, said their good nights and went to bed. As Meredith and Skyle slept, they both had frighteningly similar dreams.

 **Meredith's dream:**

 _In her dream, Meredith was in a world stained in red as she laid down. Above her, a small child is crying, almost eclipsing the sunset. She wanted to at least whip away his tears, but for some reason, she couldn't move her arms. And the tears streaming down his cheeks dripped down onto the rocks where she laid. All she could do was watch. It was so frustrating and sad._

 _'It will be alright... Don't cry... I promise.'_

 _She couldn't help but wonder whose's words those were. They seem to be too far away to be hers._

 **Skyle's Dream:**

 _Young Skyle was near the shore snacking on moon berries while waiting for his family to be done speaking with the ambassadors from the neighboring kingdoms when he saw a small human girl come out of nowhere. She was sitting on her knees and crying._

 _"Little Miss," he said. "What's wrong? What're you crying for?"_

 _The girl didn't respond. She just kept her head down and kept crying._

 _Skyle hesitantly placed his hand on her arm, which caused her to look up at him._

 _"Who're you?" she asked._

 _"I'm Skyle," he said. He reached into his bag and held out a handful of moon berries. "Want some of my moon berries?" Moon berries always made Skyle feel better when he was upset so surely they'd help the girl feel better too._

 _The girl hesitated but then took the offered berries and began eating them. As she did so, the tiniest smile appeared on her face. It made Skyle happy to see her smile. He didn't like anyone to be sad._

 _"So, what's wrong? Are you lost?" asked Skyle._

 _The girl quickly shook her head._

 _"Well, can you tell me your name?"_

 _"I'm…I'm Mere…"_

 _It was as far as the girl got before bursting into tears again._

 _Skyle realized he was going to need grown-up help for this. But when he looked around, he saw no adult of any kind which meant he'd have to go fetch some._

 _"Don't cry anymore. Whatever's the matter, my mama can make it better," he assured her. Skyle's parents could make anything all right again and he knew they could make his new friend happy again. "I'll be right back, so don't go anywhere, Mere."_

 _"That isn't my name!" He heard her call out as he dove into the sea._

XXXXXXX

One week later, Meredith was sitting on a rock in the castle garden, gazing up at the surface of the sea as it rippled.

Meredith's time under the sea had been good for her, not just because it gave her time with the one she loved but because it also gave her time to think. She'd been wondering about her family. Had they noticed she was gone? Did they miss her like she missed them? Were her sisters alright? Was her father still angry with her?

Meredith hoped that her father wasn't angry, because Meredith had been thinking a lot about their parting words had come to realize how much she regretted how things had ended between the two of them. No matter how bad things got between them, Meredith could never truly hate her father. Her words had been spoken in anger and she'd never truly meant them.

Deep down, Meredith knew that in his own way, Bryce loved his children and had always done what he could to protect him. She couldn't despise him for that. For all the bad memories between them, there were also a great deal of good memories.

Meredith longed to be able to tell her father how she felt, but she knew she couldn't, not while she was like this.

"Morning, sweetie!"

Meredith looked up to see Dal swimming towards her with a smile on his face.

"How're you fairing this fine day?" asked Dal.

"Fairly well," said Meredith. An idea came to her. Maybe she couldn't visit her family but someone else on her behalf could. "Dal, can you do me a favor?"

Upon on the surface, Mari was sitting by the seashore eating her lunch. She was taking a break from the search for her sister. Despite a week of frantic searching, there was still no sign of Meredith and Mari was beginning to fear the worst.

"Excuse me. Are you Mari?"

Startled, Mari yelped and nearly dropped her lunch.

A large seal sat not too far from her and looked apologetic.

"Yes, yes, I'm Mari," she said, quickly. "Can I help you?"

"Begging your pardon, Your Majesty. I didn't mean to scare you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dal. I'm a friend of Meredith's."

At the mention of her sister's name, Mari rose up and walked closer to the seal. "Meredith? My sister?"

Dal nodded. "I've come with a message at her request."

"Meredith's request? So she's safe? She's alright?" asked Mari, as her heart leapt.

Dal nodded again.

Mari heaved a sigh of a relief and silently prayed in gratitude. "Where is she?"

Dal looked uncomfortable. "I'm not at liberty to say."

Mari wanted to protest but the look in the seal's eyes told her it would be pointless so instead she asked, "What's the message?"

"Meredith wants you and your family to know that not only is she alive and happy, but she's also safe and sound. She's sorry for any worry she's caused but she cannot return at the moment. However, she also wants you to know that she loves you all very much and asks that you tell that king that she doesn't hate him," said Dal. "She's sorry for how they parted and she forgives him."

Mari drank in this information and happy tears came to her eyes. Meredith was still absent but she was safe and happy and she wasn't alone. Mari would've been happier with Meredith's return but for the moment it was enough to know that Meredith was alright.

"I'll inform my father of this, I promise," said Mari. "Would you tell Mari that Father's also sorry and that her sisters love and miss her very much?"

Dal nodded and soon after that, he departed into the sea.


	9. Chapter 9

**I thank** **Brightfire15 for helping me.**

It was lunchtime when Dal returned.

Meredith and Skyle were sitting on a park bench, talking and enjoying scoops of a treat Meredith had never tried before: crushed ice from an iceberg dipped in moon berry syrup.

Dal tapped on Meredith's shoulder, getting her attention. "I have a message for you."

Meredith turned to Skyle. "Can you excuse us for a moment?"

Skyle nodded and then Meredith swam a short distance away with Dal.

"I gave Mari the message," said Dal, when they were out of earshot of Skyle.

"And?" asked Meredith, hesitantly.

"She said to tell you that your father's also sorry and that she and your sisters love you and miss you very much," said Dal.

Meredith smiled and sighed in relief. She hadn't known what to expect when she'd sent Dal off with the message, but she was glad Mari's response was the worst-case scenario that Meredith had imagined. There was still a great deal of time left before the rising of the third full moon and considering that Mari had been kind to Dal, perhaps there was hope that one day Meredith would be brave enough to speak with her family face-to-face.

"Thank you, Dal," said Meredith, as she kissed his cheek.

Dal blushed and waved his fins. "It was nothing. What're friends for?"

Meredith just smiled in response and then they parted ways. When she returned to the bench, Skyle had an excited look on his face and he was hiding something behind his back.

"What's going on?" asked Meredith, curiously.

"Have you ever been to an aquatic show?" asked Skyle.

Meredith shook her head. While she'd seen merfolk dancing on the surface and had attended theatre performances back home, she'd never been to a show under the sea before.

"Would you like to see one?"

Meredith eagerly nodded.

"Well, isn't that a lucky coincidence?" Skyle then removed his hand from behind his back, revealing two balcony seat tickets. "I happen to have two tickets for this afternoon's show. Would you care to accompany me?"

Meredith smiled and took Skyle's arm as they then swam to the theatre.

When Dal saw the two leave the theater holding hands, he became hopeful that perhaps Meredith had received True Love's Kiss.

When he spotted Cardiff, who had been following the couple, the seal secretly swam up to the dolphin and asked, "Psst! Yo, Cardiff! Has there been any kissing yet?"

Cardiff shook his head in disappointment. "No. Not yet."

Dal groaned and shook his head. "What're they waiting for? Honestly!"

Time was of the essence for Meredith. She needed to receive True Love's Kiss and soon! What was that merprince waiting for?

Adwat, who was on his way to meet Coralia for a swim in the park, happened to overhear Dal and Cardiff's conversation. He couldn't help but shake his head at their impatience.

Meredith was on a deadline, true, but that was no reason to rush things. It had only been a week since Aster's spell had been cast and she was still getting to know the sea and all its splendor. Not to mention that True Love didn't happen overnight. Love grew over time with nurturing, compassion and patience. It wasn't to be rushed. For Meredith to receive True Love's Kiss, Skyle's love had to be real and that would only happen with time. It was evident there was a spark between Skyle and Meredith and it would be fanned into a flame when the time was right, of that much Adwat was absolutely certain.

In the meantime, Adwat was content to remain in the sea. He wouldn't say so to Meredith just yet but he was beginning to understand why she loved the undersea world so much. It wasn't nearly as terrible as he'd imagined. In fact, it was quite the opposite. There was an unspoken beauty to the sea, a certain unheard melody to it all, and it was slowly stealing away with Adwat's heart. And of course, Coralia and their shared affections were also a bonus.

The lights of the theater dimmed as Meredith and Skyle took their seats and the show began.

The curtain rose up, revealing a scenery that was painted black and littered with hundreds of bioluminescent starfish that glowed brightly. Some of them were even wearing tiny rhinestones that glittered and sparkled in the light. It was so alike to the night sky that Meredith couldn't help looking longingly at the background.

Though Meredith loved her new life as a mermaid, the night sky and all its beauty was one of the few things she missed from the human world. There was something mesmerizing and calming about gazing at a starry night sky and it always looked so beautiful when reflected against the waters of the sea.

Meredith had heard it said that everyone had their own star, a guiding light as it were, leading to one's destiny and keeping one's hope alight. It seemed impossible, but Meredith would swear she could see her own star on the background among the glowing starfish, as though it were proof that Meredith's place was in the sea with Skyle.

Meredith awoke from her thoughts when she felt Skyle's hand on hers.

"You okay?" he whispered.

Meredith nodded and gave him a little smile before they turned their attention to the show.

On the stage sat a beautiful Mermaid Princess. Although the Mermaid Princess had all the worldly possessions she could ask for, her heart's desire was not fulfilled for what she desired most of all was to love and be loved for herself and not for her status and riches.

The Mermaid Princess's pleas for her heart's desire did not go unheard. Poseidon's Son heard her, took one look at the Mermaid Princess and fell instantly in love with her.

Poseidon's Son descended from his father's side in Olympus and came to the Mermaid Princess's side. One look and the Mermaid Princess fell instantly in love with Poseidon's Son.

Poseidon's Son bowed to the Mermaid Princess and they shared True Love's Kiss. They planned to wed, but before this could be done, the God of the Sea commanded his son's return. The God of the Sea did not approve of his son's love for the Mermaid Princess for she was but a mortal while Poseidon's Son was an immortal god's child.

Poseidon's Son had no choice but to obey his father's wishes and he reluctantly departed from his true love. Poseidon's Son was heartbroken but he was soon convinced that it was for the best and the Mermaid Princess would forget him and find another to love.

She could not speak to Poseidon's Son, but she knew he was always watching. So under the light of the moon, she performed a dance that spoke of her love and patience eternal for Poseidon's son.

Two incredibly long ribbons descended from up above. The Mermaid Princess grabbed them and then used them to hoist herself up. Once high up above, she spun around gracefully and then turned onto her back and twirled and performed a serious of impressive acrobatics.

Overjoyed that their love was still strong, the Son of Poseidon snuck away from Olympus and returned to his true love's side. Whereupon, they secretly married by handfasting with a long, golden ribbon and then they danced a most beautiful dance. They twirled around on long strands of ribbon and moved about with astounding grace and skill.

When the Mermaid Princess descended to the floor of the stage, the Son of Poseidon spun around in rapid descent one could barely see him and then in the blink of an eye, he was halfway between the stage floor and the area above, trapped between a rock and a hard place, trapped between his desire to serve his father and be with his true love. If he returned to Olympus, he could not return to his true love and if he chose the Mermaid Princess, the Son of Poseidon would be banished forever from his father's side.

Such a choice cannot be made alone, so the Mermaid Princess swam up to her lover's side and with her help, the Son of Poseidon descended to the stage floor where he would remain and he had no regrets whatsoever.

The Mermaid Princess and the Son of Poseidon took to opposite corners of the stage and then released their ribbons. They then swam to one another and the Son of Poseidon swept his wife into a passionate kiss. But although their love was strong, it could not prevent the work of time and mortality and eventually the Mermaid Princess died in the arms of her true love.

It is said that one can die from a broken heart and despite his immortality, the Son of Poseidon was not exempt from this. His pain at losing his true love was so great that he, too, passed on and his soul joined that of countless others in the Underworld.

Whereupon, the Son of Poseidon was reunited with the Mermaid Princess in the Elysian Fields of Paradise, never again to be parted and to always be united in love eternal.

The show was over and everyone clapped. Meredith applauded, but was thinking about the romance of the story. The course of true love never did run smooth and the Mermaid Princess and the Son of Poseidon had faced great trials for the sake of their love.

But they had endured and despite the show's tragic ending, in a way their love had proved victorious and they were together forever.

As Skyle applauded the performance, he thought of the Son of Poseidon.

The Son of Poseidon had given up everything—his home and life in Olympus, his family, and even his immortality—the Son of Poseidon had tossed them all away without a second thought and never regretted it all because he'd deemed the love of the Mermaid Princess far more precious than anything else in the world.

The Son of Poseidon's actions were to be commended and admired, but all the same, Skyle could not help but wonder...if Skyle was given the same choice, would Skyle give up everything and everyone he ever knew and loved, even his own life, all for one person's love? Was Skyle really that noble? He wished he knew.

When the day came to an end, Skyle saw Meredith off to bed. He swam with her to her bedroom door.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked. "Did you like the show?"

Meredith nodded. "I loved it," she rasped. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," said Skyle.

He then took her hand and gently kissed it before saying good-night and retiring to his own bed.

 ** _:Sklye's dream:_**

 ** _Much to his disappointment, Skyle couldn't find any grown-ups, much less his parents. But he didn't want to just leave the girl all alone when she so clearly needed someone, so Skyle returned to the surface. Fortunately, she was still there._**

 ** _"I'm back," said Skyle._**

 ** _Mere made no reply._**

 ** _Skyle hoisted himself up and sat beside her. "Mind if I ask you a question?" When Mere shook her head, Skyle asked, "What's happened to make you so upset? Do you think you can talk to me about it now, Mere?"_**

 ** _The girl's eyes flashed in annoyance. "Mere isn't my name!" she said, in irritated exasperation._**

 ** _Skyle chuckled. "Oh, good. I was starting to worry maybe you'd forgotten how to talk. I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong. Or let me guess, I look like you're long-lost brother, is that it?"_**

 ** _The girl laughed but shook her head._**

 ** _Skyle was pleased she was becoming less sad but he was still getting nowhere with her. So, he decided to try a different tactic._**

 ** _"Well, if I can't help, I guess I should take off then," he said, as he pretended to jump back into the sea._**

 ** _The girl looked alarmed and she shook her head as she grabbed his hand, her eyes pleaded with Skyle not to leave. Then suddenly, her stomach growled rather loudly._**

 ** _"Is that your stomach growling?" asked Skyle. "Wow, I bet you're really hungry then, aren't you?"_**

 ** _The girl looked embarrassed and nodded. The moon berries clearly hadn't fully satisfied her hunger._**

 ** _"Right, then I'll go get you something to eat," said Skyle. He was feeling rather hungry himself and he knew just the place to get a full meal quickly. "Just wait here, I'll be back in a sec. Will you talk to me when I return?"_**

 ** _The girl hesitated but then nodded. "Yes."_**

 ** _Skyle then departed into the sea._**

 ** _Half an hour later, Skyle returned with enough food for the both of them. It had taken longer than he'd intended to get the dinner and he hoped he hadn't be too long. Much to his relief, the girl was still waiting for him on the shore and she smiled when she saw him._**

 ** _"Hey, sorry it took me so long," said Skyle. "I'm glad you waited for me."_**

 ** _"Well, you told me to wait, so I did," said the girl._**

 ** _Skyle smiled. "Well, you'll be glad that you did." He sat down and placed the food in between them. He tried to pat the girl's head but she pulled away from his touch and gave him a warning look. Clearly she didn't like being patted on the head and Skyle took the hint._**

 ** _"Is this all for me?" she asked, gesturing to the food._**

 ** _Skyle looked sheepish. "Actually, it's for both of us. Do you mind?"_**

 ** _The girl shook her head and then began eating. "Wow, it's so warm."_**

 ** _"That's because it's fresh. Good, isn't it?"_**

 ** _The girl nodded and the two of them enjoyed their meal._**

 ** _The girl licked away what little food there was at the corners of her mouth with her tongue and then looked curious._**

 ** _"Why is it salty?" she asked._**

 ** _The food had long since been dried so it couldn't have been from salt water._**

 ** _Skyle shrugged. "You must've licked a tear track."_**

 ** _The girl looked surprised. "But it's…it's delicious!"_**

 ** _Skyle nodded and smiled. "I know, isn't it?"_**

 ** _The girl returned Skyle's smile as they resumed their meal._**

 ** _Halfway through it, Skyle decided to ask the girl about what had upset her so much._**

 ** _"So, can you tell me why you were crying?" asked Skyle._**

 ** _The girl's eyes became sad again. "It's…it's because…"_**

 ** _Sensing the girl was about to burst into tears again and not wishing to make her so upset, Skyle said quickly, "Never mind. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I won't ask you anymore."_**

 ** _The girl looked relieved and they turned the conversation to other, more pleasant things until the sky began to explode with the colors of the setting sun._**

 ** _"It's getting dark," said Skyle. His parents would surely be missing him by now. "I'd better head home. See you around, Mere."_**

 ** _Before Skyle could leave, the girl grabbed his hand._**

 ** _"What's the matter?" asked Skyle._**

 ** _"My…my name isn't Mere," she said._**

 ** _Skyle knew this. He'd only called her as such because she had yet to tell him her name and he needed something to call her. Naturally, he was confused as to why she was saying this but he didn't ask._**

 ** _"Oh, yeah, that's right. Sorry about that," said Skyle. "I'll remember next time. But I have to go now, so I'll see you later."_**

 ** _Once again Skyle attempted to leave and once again, the girl refused to let go._**

 ** _Skyle sighed. "I need to go home. You have to let me go."_**

 ** _But it was clear the girl didn't want him to go anymore than Skyle wanted to leave, but there was no other choice._**

 ** _"Can I see you again for dinner?" she blurted out. "You can bring more of your cuisine."_**

 ** _Skyle's heart leapt. "You liked it that much, did you?"_**

 ** _The girl nodded._**

 ** _"Then I'd be delighted," said Skyle. He felt quite excited as he liked having a new friend to spend time with. "I've got nothing planned for tomorrow, so I'll wait at this rock for you at the same time as the hour we met with dinner."_**

 ** _The girl gazed at him almost suspiciously. "You're not lying, are you?"_**

 ** _Skyle shook his head. "I'd never lie to a lady. I'll definitely be here tomorrow. You have my solemn word as a gentleman."_**

 ** _The girl still gazed at him. "Do you promise you'll be here?"_**

 ** _Skyle nodded and then traced an 'x' on his bare chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a sea urchin in my eye. I promise I'll be here tomorrow."_**

 ** _Skyle's promise seemed acceptable, for the girl mimicked his actions and then shook his offered hand._**

 ** _"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," said Skyle._**  
 ** _  
"Tomorrow." The girl rose up and began to head home, only to stop and look back. "Oh! Uh…good-bye. I'll see you tomorrow!"_**

 ** _"Good-bye," said Skyle, as he waved and then dove back into the sea._**

 ** _:Meredith's dream:_**

 ** _Meredith was listening to the waves crash against the shore. She was sitting on a rock, all alone waiting for someone. Someone who would probably never come. Yet she continued to wait with astounding patience for hours, for days, for years, forever.  
_**  
When Skyle and Meredith awoke, they could scarcely remember their dreams but nor could they forget the feeling that there was something missing, something they were failing to see even though it was right under their noses. But what it was, neither of them could say.


End file.
